Red Eyes
by ThatGirlYouThoughtWasQuiet
Summary: 'You're frozen in you father's arms, and your brother is thrashing next to you, but as you flee, you meet the figure's gaze for the first time, and all you see is red.'


**Years in the past**

The second you get out the door and collapse into your cousin's arms, your first thought was '_Mom'_. You weakly raise your head and look for her, but you can't see her. "Mom..." this time you say it out loud, and your brother, barely 13, looks around as well. Your eyes are stinging from the smoke and your skin burns from the heat of the red flames, but you lift yourself out of Jake's arms and stare at the burning house in front of you. "Mom," She's in there. "Mom." Still in the house that you grew up in, now burning to the ground. "Mom!" Your scrambling now, arms and legs flailing as you fail to get up and race into the house. "Mom!" You scream over and over, and John is still slightly confused. "Mom!" You finally get on your feet, but Jake grabs at your arms.

"Jade! You can't go in there!" he shouts while you slap at his arms, red-hot tears spilling down your dirt-smudged cheeks.

"No!" you scream, "Mom! Let me go! Mom!" You're trying to break free, but you're only 14, and Jake is much stronger than you. Finally, it seems that John has realized that your mother is still in there, and he throws his small fist at Jake's face as hard as he can. The punch doesn't knock him down, but his arms loosen enough for you to wiggle free. You dash away, and John follows behind you. You know you should care that he's in danger now, but you don't. All you care about is your mom, who could be trapped under a chunk of the ceiling right now.

"Jade! John!" your cousin calls after you. You look back for half a second before you enter the door, and you catch a glimpse of your father. He looks scared when he sees that you two have run back in. He also looks serious. You almost never see that look on his face. Your dad is silly. He likes to bake cakes and then throw them in your face. But now, he stares at the house, face straight and fists clenched tightly.

The inside of the house is all red flames and black smoke. The thick smoke fills the air, clogging up your lungs with its stench and making your eyes water. You see your entire childhood in this house. The door frame where you measure your height has been charred up. The stairs where your dad used to chase you around are broken into pieces, the flames eating up the structure. When you pass by the kitchen, fire is spread across the floors, and the wooden cupboard are hanging by their hinges.

Finally, you reach the living room, and John is hacking behind you. At first, you only see the burning remains of the room, when you finally notice the figures in the middle. Your heart leapt, and you began towards your mother when John caught your wrist. You turn to look at him with frustrated reddened eyes, but he simply stares in your mother's direction with a horrified expression.

You look back, and turn your attention to the second figure there. It's hard to see most of its details, but what really catches your eye is the glinting of the weapon in its hand. The light of the fire catches along the slightly curved blade of the sword, making it appear to glow orange and red as the figure clenches it in its hand.

The moments that follow seem to blur together, slowing themselves to last an eternity.

Your lips form to call to her.

The figure- a man- snaps his head up to look at you, his grin twisted.

You hear a sickening '_crack_!' fill the air as he places his claw-like foot on her leg and slowly press down.

She cries out in pain, and that _thing_ is staring right at you.

Slowly, he places his knees on either side of her hips, and grasps his sword with two taloned hands.

She's begging for her life, and it smirks at you before lifting up the sword, blade flashing wildly to the dance of the fire.

He says something to you, but his words are drowned out by shrill screams as he brings his blade straight down into her chest, and red bleeds out from underneath her. They're not her screams, you realize. They're yours.

Your legs feel like jelly, and you're ready to collapse when you see the brim of a fedora before familiar arms wrap around you.

You're frozen in you father's arms, and your brother is thrashing next to you, but as you flee, you meet the figure's gaze for the first time, and all you see is _red_.

It's only when you're laying in an ambulance you realize what he had said to you.

_"Payback, sweetheart."_


End file.
